The AM Roundup: Benghazi Attacks, Spanier Charges, Voter ID

Benghazi: Adding new detail to the attack in Libya that killed four Americans, The Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. effort in Benghazi was at its heart a CIA operation. Of the more than 30 American officials evacuated from Benghazi following the deadly assault, only seven worked for the State Department. Nearly all the rest worked for the CIA, under diplomatic cover, which was a principal purpose of the consulate, officials tell the Journal.

Sandusky scandal: Pennsylvania State University’s former president was charged Thursday with eight criminal counts related to the Jerry Sandusky child-sex-abuse scandal, expanding the case to the school’s top echelons. Lawyers for Graham Spanier, 64, issued a statement calling the charges baseless and saying Gov. Tom Corbett, a Penn State board member, is trying to deflect attention from his handling of the investigation when he was attorney general. WSJ

Voter ID: The Tennessee Supreme Court said Thursday it will take up the challenge to the state’s voter identification law and has ordered election officials to accept Memphis photo library cards at the polls. AP

Terrorism trial: A Massachusetts man who admitted to planning to blow up the Pentagon and the United States Capitol using remote-controlled planes laden with explosives was sentenced on Thursday to 17 years in prison. NYT

Mortgage suit: Wells Fargo & Co. asked a federal judge on Thursday to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the government last month, which sought hundreds of millions of dollars for “reckless” lending under a government mortgage program, arguing that a previous legal settlement with the U.S. had resolved those claims. WSJ

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The Law Blog covers the legal arena’s hot cases, emerging trends and big personalities. It’s brought to you by lead writer Jacob Gershman with contributions from across The Wall Street Journal’s staff. Jacob comes here after more than half a decade covering the bare-knuckle politics of New York State. His inside-the-room reporting left him steeped in legal and regulatory issues that continue to grab headlines.

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